500k Potential Lifesavers in the UK
On Wednesday 24 April we reached an important milestone of 500,000 active registered potential lifesavers in the UK.
On Wednesday 24 April we reached an important milestone of 500,000 active registered potential lifesavers in the UK.
The milestone took place at a corporate donor drive organised by us and Manchester-based beach holiday specialist On the Beach.
More that 160 employees registered as potential blood stem cell donors on the day across their Manchester and Cheadle offices. Justyna Lemanska, On the Beach Operation Manager, was identified as the lucky donor.
In Memory of Andy
The company is passionate about supporting the fight against blood cancer and organised the event in memory of a valued colleague, Andy Clague, who passed away in December 2017, aged 46, following a two-year battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Andy’s wife, Louise Clague, is on a mission to register as many people as possible to the registry and will continue to organise and host donor drives and take part in fundraising challenges as part of #TeamClague.
Louise said: “It’s been phenomenal to see the response from On the Beach, and so rewarding to see the 500,000th person join the donor register in the very office that Andy worked for so many years. #TeamClague would like to thank all those involved and will continue campaigning to encourage as many people as possible to join the stem cell donor register.”
Simon Cooper, Founder and CEO at On the Beach who also registered as a potential lifesaver said: "Andy had been with On the Beach for six years, during which time he made a huge contribution to the business and became an incredibly popular member of the team who is deeply missed.”
It is an honour to have helped DKMS reach this milestone and to see our colleagues support such an important cause that is close to our heart. We of course hope that one day, our efforts will help make a meaningful - and potentially life-saving - difference to someone in need.”
How you can help
If this has inspired you and you would like to register then please check your eligibility and sign up as a potential blood stem cell donor. Anyone between the ages of 17-55 and in good general health can go on standby to potentially save a life.
If you’re not eligible or you’re already registered, why not check out the other ways to get involved in the fight against blood cancer or help us cover donor registration costs.